Transactions will be capped at 500 Swiss francs ($500, 460 euros) each but SBB stressed customers will not be allowed to buy tickets with the e-money.

Bitcoin "is not accepted as a payment method," the state-owned company said.

With the current value of the currency around 689 Swiss francs, customers "will be able to purchase fractions of Bitcoin," a CFF spokesman told AFP.

Bitcoin has stirred interest as a way to move money around the world with no fees or bank involvement, but secrecy surrounding the currency, including its creator, have led to some to questions on its stability and transparency.